


Sing For Me

by mysteriousmagicx



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Angst, F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-16
Updated: 2021-02-16
Packaged: 2021-03-18 16:00:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,339
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29492475
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mysteriousmagicx/pseuds/mysteriousmagicx
Summary: Levi falls for a reader who can sing.
Relationships: Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin)/Reader, Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin)/You, Levi Ackerman & Reader, Levi Ackerman/Reader, Levi Ackerman/You
Comments: 4
Kudos: 23





	Sing For Me

The first time he heard her singing was when he ordered the cadets to clean the castle.

Honestly, he doesn’t understand how none of them could clean correctly. How hard is it to just wipe the windows or scrub the floors? Are they just blind to dirt and grime?

It pisses him off even more when they mess around, not even attempting to clean. It’s like they wanted to run laps and miss out on food.

As he surveys the cadets’ work, his mood grows sour. Then he hears something. He couldn’t make out what it is, but it annoys him further. If someone was doing something they weren’t supposed to, they have a death wish coming. Levi just about had it with everyone’s incompetence. Walking down the halls, he comes across a small room. The door is ajar so he peeks in.

A girl was singing as she cleans the windows. He doesn’t recognize her, but what catches his attention was her voice. It’s soft, like a feather. It floats through the air and reaches his ears. Somehow it washes away the anger inside him, leaving him with a feeling of tranquility. How did she do that? Normally it takes sipping tea inside his office for a long time to make him calm down from the stupidity of the cadets. Yet here she is, dispeling his mood instantly.

Levi stays for a bit longer, allowing her voice to soothe his mind. Then he mentally slaps himself for slacking off and leaves. He couldn’t waste his time, there are rooms needed to be cleaned (and recleaned because the cadets are idiots).

He should’ve yelled at her to stop singing and not focusing on the task at hand, but didn’t.

Levi doesn’t know why.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The second time he heard her sing was in the kitchen.

Levi discovered her name to be (Y/N) (L/N). He read her file in his office after that day. Apparently that girl is in Hanji’s squad, god knows why. Her skills with the ODMG gear was pretty good based on reports. She’s quick and efficient, although hand to hand combat she somewhat lacked in.

Nothing too outstanding about her besides her ability to sing. He still couldn’t figure out what was it about her voice that soothed him.

Levi groans as he brings another stack of paperwork to the center of his desk. It’s never ending, and it’s barely the afternoon.

“Dammit Erwin..,” He mutters.

Feeling a headache coming on, he closes his eyes and exhales through his nose. Nope, not doing this shit. Levi stands up, raising his arms above his head. He exits his office and walks down the halls, his boots clacking against the floor.

Before he enters the kitchen, he hears the familiar voice. He sees her preparing herself a cup of tea, putting four sugar cubes into the cup. That woman has a sweet tooth.

Once again her voice puts his mind at ease, the throbbing in his head vanishing.

Levi decides to make his presence known. He enters and clears his throat.

“Cadet (L/N).” Levi felt bad that he had to disturb her singing, but he didn’t want to be some sort of creepy stalker forever.

(Y/N) jumps, nearly dropping the spoon in her hands. She spins around and widens her eyes. She quickly does a salute.

“Sir!” She squeaks, clearly off guard.

Levi waves her off. “At ease.” He says boredly.

She nods, her eyes frantically looking everywhere but him. She’s chewing her lip, her fingers playing with each other.

“How…long have you been there?” She finally asks.

He catches onto her subtle question. “If you’re asking if I heard you singing, then yes I did.” Levi answers.

A blush coats her cheeks. “I-I’m sorry, I won’t sing again!”

Levi quirks an eyebrow. “I’m not mad cadet (l/n). Do whatever the hell you want, just don’t let it impact your duties.”

“Y-Yes sir!”

She’s even shaking, was he that intimidating to her? He didn’t even yell or anything.

Levi eyes the steaming cup of tea on the counter. “Make me tea.” He blurts out. He’s taken aback by the words leaving his lips. What was he saying? All the cadets make shitty tea.

The (h/c) girl blinks, not expecting those words. “O-Okay.”

“Don’t make it too sweet, it’s disgusting.”

No use in taking back what he said, he pulls out a chair and sits down. She fidgets in her spot as Levi stares at her.

“Get on with it.”

“Y-Yes sir.”

She turns around and takes out another cup. Levi observes that her movements are slightly trembling. He really hopes she doesn’t make a mess of things if something slips through her grasp.

Within a few minutes, She sets a cup down in front of him. He eyes the copper liquid, holding the cup by the rim and swirling it. He watches her from the corner of his eyes as he takes a sip. She’s nervously glancing between him and floor, obviously wanting to know his reaction.

His face remains impassive as he allows the flavor to settle on his tongue.

“Not bad.” Is the only compliment he offers her. Levi rises to his feet, the cup in his hands, and starts to walk away.

“T-Thank you sir!” 

He doesn’t stop to acknowledge her words. Levi takes another sip, the warm liquid pooling in his stomach.

He makes a mental note to order her to make his tea from now on.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The third time he heard her sing was at night.

Levi couldn’t sleep for the life of him. Constant thoughts bombarded him, his mind refusing to let him sleep. He’s exhausted no doubt, but his body is restless. What a horrible combination.

Groaning, he sits up. Levi rakes a hand through his ebony hair, pondering on what to do. Deciding that he might as well take a breather in the courtyard, he swings his legs over the bed and plants his feet on the floor. He stands up, walking to his closet to take out his military jacket.

The halls are eerily quiet, the flames dancing across the walls. The shadows follow him as he approaches the courtyard. Sometimes they’re too close for comfort, it’s like they breathe down his neck.

Cold air rushes past him, biting his cheeks. He stops when he sees a familiar figure sitting on the ground, looking up at the sky. She’s singing again. He can’t tell if it’s really just a coincidence that he stumbles upon her singing, but he’s not complaining.

Her voice is carried by the wind, flying to who knows where. It quells his energetic thoughts, a sense of tranquility falling over him. Maybe her voice could soothe him to sleep. Wait, what was he even thinking?

Levi is too busy scolding himself that he didn’t realize she stopped singing.

“S-Sir?”

He snaps out of his mind, looking at (y/n). She has a surprised expression on her face, her mouth slightly agape.

“What are you doing out here cadet?” Levi questions, crossing his arms. He wonders how she’s not cold with her flimsy nightgown.

She shows him a sheepish smile. “I couldn’t sleep so I thought going outside and singing might help.”

Levi sits down next to her, propping his knee up. He sees her tense beside him.

“And why couldn’t you sleep?” He prys further.

She averts her eyes, looking down. Her finger drags across the ground. Noticing her unwillingness to answer, he was about to brush off his question when she speaks.

“Nightmares.” He feels the weight of the word. Everyone gets plagued by nightmares at least once in their life, especially if one was in the Survey Corps. They face death every day, and unfortunately death decides to visit them in their sleep.

“Sorry to hear that,”

“Sir-”

“None of that formal shit when it’s just us.” Levi cuts her off. “Call me Levi.” Just what the hell was he saying?

Her cheeks flare up. “O-Okay Si- Levi.” She corrects herself. 

“May I ask a personal question?” She shyly asks.

“Proceed.” His answer is curt.

“Why are you awake?” She looks at him with round, innocent eyes.

“My mind won’t shut off.” He heaves a sigh.

“That’s no good…,”

“No, it’s not.”

Silence falls over them. (y/n) doesn’t seem too frightened by him today, which was a nice change. Her shoulders are relaxed, her eyes looking up at the dark abyss above.

“Why do you sing?” The words fall from his mouth before he could process it, disturbing the quietude.

She turns her head towards him, blinking.

“Nevermind, don’t answer that. That was too personal of me.” Levi dismisses his question with his hand.

Her gaze returns to the sky, her hands resting behind her. “My mother sang to me when I was a kid. Whether I was happy, sad, angry, or confused, she sang to me.” A fond smile stretches across her lips. “I loved her voice. She made everything okay.” Her voice breaks at the end.

“She’s dead, isn’t she?” He deduces.

She nods, her eyes looking at the ground. “She died from an illness, the doctors couldn’t cure her. Ever since then, I started to sing. It helps me when there’s too much on my mind, and I reflect back to the times when my mother sang to me.”

A few tears slips from her eyes. Levi reaches into his pocket and takes out a handkerchief, handing it to her. She takes it, drying her tears.

“Thank you.”

Despite unearthing sad memories, there’s a smile on her face. It’s just as radiant as the moon above them. Levi comes to the conclusion that even with her tear stained tracks on her cheeks, she looks beautiful. He shakes his head at the thought. He most definitely lost his mind. Rising to his feet, he turns on his heel and starts to walk away.

“Levi!” She calls out to him, halting his movements. He looks over his shoulder, indicating that he’s listening.

“Thank you for talking with me.”

He clicks his tongue. “Go back to the dorms.”

Levi returns to his room, laying down on his back. His muscles relax, his eyelids sliding shut.

Not a single nightmare woke him up.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The fourth time he heard her sing was at a flower field.

Erwin gave everyone, including superiors, a day off. Normally Levi didn’t care if he had a day off or not, he would spend it at the castle regardless. He finds the loud chatter in town annoying and women flock to him despite his cold personality. Levi would rather not have a headache.

He just really despised large crowds of people. Why mingle with others when sipping tea in his office was more ideal? Unfortunately for him, he couldn’t do that because a crazy scientist decided to drag his ass outside.

“Come on Levi, you always stay indoors! Get out sometimes.” Hanji chirps as they walk down the streets.

“Can your voice be any more annoying?” Levi grumbles, not pleased with how his afternoon was ruined.

“Would you like me to talk about titans~?” She teases.

“Do that and I’ll feed to the titans myself.” He threatens.

“Sheesh, alright. Calm down.”

Levi rolls his eyes. As if he could calm down with her, she makes his blood pressure spike like no tomorrow.

“You know, I’ve been noticing you eyeing one of my cadets.” Hanji brings up, a coy smile on her lips.

“And who may that be?” Levi says nonchalantly.

“Don’t play dumb Shorty. It’s (y/n) obviously.”

“I do not take interest in cadets in other squads, much less yours.” He retorts.

“You can’t hide it Levi, you’re not very discreet.” She wags her fingers.

“Will you shut up?” He says exasperatedly, feeling a familiar throbbing sensation in his head. Damn her.

“Oh so you’re not denying it!”

“Hanji you have one more chance to shut the hell up before I’m skinning you alive.” He says darkly, a hard glare thrown her way.

Hanji chuckles, holding her hands up in defense. “Alright I’ll drop it.”

True to her words, she didn’t speak of that topic. He wanted to be in the comfort of his office, not out here. There’s nothing interesting to do besides going to a bar maybe, but those places are dingy and dirty, so no way in hell. His eyes catch a stand selling boxes of tea. Thinking about how low he is on his favorite beverage, he starts to walk towards the stand.

Her voice reaches him. Levi stops, straightening his back. His eyes dart around, hoping to see a familiar face.

Hanji watches him with an amused smile. “She’s by the flower field north of here.”

He throws her a skeptical look. What did she know?

“I know (y/n) well, believe it or not we confide in each other.” Levi snorts at that.

“Whatever.”

He stalks off, eager to get away from the scientist. His mood is elated just from her voice. People and buildings thin out, giving way to a lone dirt path. Following it, he comes across a massive flower field. There are a variety of colors, like amethyst purple, sunshine yellow, icy blue, and soft pink. The flowers sway back and forth, like they were dancing. The trees rustle above them, leaves swirling in the sky.

There she was, spinning around the field with her sundress twirling. A beaming smile is on her face, rivaling the brightness of the sun. Her eyes sparkle with mirth. She’s radiating pure happiness and innocence.

This moment he sees in front of him seems so surreal. People like himself go on expeditions to see the wonders outside walls. Yeah, wonders. All he ever witnesses is the wretched beasts, the blood staining the ground, and the mangled bodies of his comrades. All people hope for are the beautiful things, pockets of happiness that they believe are out there.

Yet he’s found one within the walls.

Levi stays in the shadow of the tree, not willing to disturb her bubbly atmosphere. The song she’s singing was cheerful and lively. It’s like the nightmare outside the walls doesn’t exist.

He closes his eyes, and for the first time in a long time, a smile graces his lips.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The fifth time he heard her sing was in his dreams.

Levi had an exhausting day. For one, his insomnia kept him up last night so he didn’t get a wink of sleep. Already he started his day very grumpy. Hanji had to talk his ear off during the mess hall. Meetings were boring as hell. The cadets couldn’t even do training right. He doesn’t understand how they managed to even get this far.

So here he was now, trudging back to his office. Levi felt weird that he didn’t see (y/n) today or heard her voice. He stops, narrowing his eyes. Why the hell is she on his mind so much? Who cares if he doesn’t see her, she’s not even in his damn squad. Why does he even need to hear her voice for?

Oh great, another headache. He’s been getting these frequently.

Opening the door to his office, he walks into his private quarters. He strips, wearing nothing but his gray boxers. Levi lays down on his bed, sinking into the mattress. He exhales, closing his eyes. He really hopes his insomnia doesn’t strike or his nightmares come back to haunt him. The chances of both not happening were as slim as Hanji cleaning her room. Less than a percent.

Somehow today was part of that less than one percent.

Levi sees himself being surrounded by darkness. Dread settles in his gut. This was how his nightmares play out. Alone in the darkness. Then he hears screams, sees blood. A never ending torment of anguish and pain as he replays deaths over and over again.

This time it was different.

Levi hears something soft and angelic coming from all angles. (Y/N)’s voice. He widens his eyes. Is she here? Where? Levi whips his head around, trying to hone in on the source. He grits his teeth. Her voice is everywhere. He breaks into a run, hoping to find her. His heart beats vigorously, the sound right by his ear. He needs to find her.

All of a sudden he sees a ray of light in the distance. He picks up the pace. More light pours in, dispelling the darkness. Soon enough, all around him is a bright white, not a shred of darkness anywhere. He hears footsteps behind him. Levi turns around and his breath hitches in his throat. She’s there, singing. Her voice surrounds him like a blanket, comforting him. It blocks everything else out, all he could focus on is her and her voice.

He reaches a hand out to her, which she takes. She’s warm. She tugs him along to who knows where, but he didn’t care. As long as she sings, he doesn’t care where he ends up.

Levi opens his eyes blearily, the sunlight attacking him. He groans as he shifts to the other side, burying his face in the pillow. Damn him, he forgot to pull the curtains over the window.

He shoots straight up, his heart racing. (Y/N)’s not here. He’s in his bed inside his room.

He didn’t have a nightmare.

Levi presses his palm to his forehead, his dream fresh in his mind. Her voice, the light, the feeling of nothing being able to hurt him.

He understands why her voice impacts him so much. It reaches him in the darkest corner of his mind, pulling him into the light. He feels lighter, his mind clear.

Levi also realizes something else. He’s utterly in love with her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The sixth time he heard her sing was in his office.

Levi could not concentrate for the life of him. All he could think about was (y/n) and her soothing voice. Levi throws his pen down forcefully on his desk. It rolls off and clatters to the floor. Groaning, he leans his head back in his chair and closes his eyes.

Levi thought he was good at keeping people at a distance, his walls high and mighty. No one could penetrate them. But she did. Her voice reached the other side of the wall, where he was surrounded in darkness. He was allured by her, and slowly his walls crumbled to dust. Levi wanted to be with her, to hear her voice, to be in the light.

A knock resonates in his office.

“Name and business.” He says gruffly.

“It’s cadet (Y/N) (L/N). I’ve come to bring your tea.” Her sweet voice filters through the wood.

Levi opens his eyes, straightening his posture. “Enter.”

The door opens, revealing the (h/c) girl with a tray in her hands. She uses her foot to close the door. She shows him a small as she walks to his desk. Godammit his heart is racing like mad. Thank god he’s adept at keeping his face neutral. She sets the tray down with a steaming cup of tea. Turning on her heel to leave, he stops her.

“You’re not dismissed. Sit.” He gestures to the seat with his hand.

“Oh, okay.”

She sits down awkwardly. Fiddling with her fingers, her eyes glances at the floor. He senses her discomfort, but he didn’t want her to leave. Her presence alone is somewhat alleviating his mood. Levi sips the tea. He could never get tired of the taste.

“Um, do you need me for something?” 

“Tell me, what made you want to be in Hanji’s squad.” Levi asks, attempting to have a conversation with her.

“Well, I was attracted to her lively personality.” She laughs a little.

Levi quirks an eyebrow. “Does it not annoy you?”

“Sometimes. But it’s good that she’s passionate about what she’s doing. She has a brilliant mind and we wouldn’t have gotten far without her discoveries.” She says.

His eyebrow twitches. It annoys him for some reason, her praising the mad scientist. Oh who was he kidding, he knows exactly the reason why he’s pissed off. He wanted her to compliment him, and he berates himself for having that thought. Damn his feelings.

“Levi, are you okay? You don’t seem well.” She leans forward, peering into his eyes.

“I’m fine.” He waves her off, looking at his desk. His heart is practically jumping in his ribcage from her being closer.

“I..don’t believe that.” She says slowly.

Levi sighs. “I have a headache. Nothing you can do about it.”

Oh but there is a solution to his problem, but no way is he going to ask that of her. That’d be too intrusive of him.

“I think I have a solution, but only if you’ll let me.” (Y/N) offers.

“What is it?”

“I’ll sing for you.” He nearly spat out his tea, instead choking on it.

“Levi!?” She shoots up from her seat, concern lacing her voice. Levi coughs, holding up his hand. After his coughs die down, he studies her face. She really genuinely wants to help him. Is that a faint blush on her cheeks or is he seeing things?

Levi couldn’t believe it, she wants to sing for him.

“Or I won’t…,” She says dejectedly, sitting down. Thinking that his lack of response made her reject the idea, he quickly speaks up.

“No, do sing.” Levi says, a little too eagerly.

Her eyes light up at his words. Nodding, she closes her eyes. Levi holds his breath during the pause.

Then her soft voice fills the empty space, dancing through the air. He couldn’t fight the small smile that stretches across his lips. He notices the way she sways from side to side as she sings, finding it to be cute.

When he really thinks about it, it’s unfair how someone as sweet and radiant as herself has to be in this cruel world. Where she has to fight titans, fight her nightmares, fight for survival. She deserves so, so much better. He wants to fight titans with her, fight her nightmares with her, fight for survival with her. He’s far from a good man, and knows he doesn’t deserve her. He’s rude, cold, and hard to deal with. But he’s a selfish man too, and he just couldn’t let go of her.

Her voice ceases. Her vibrant eyes look back at him, a smile curling on her lips.

“You look better.” She says happily.

Wordlessly he stands up, moving to the front of his desk and leaning back. Something brews inside him, his fingers twitching.

“I’m going to do something. At any point you feel uncomfortable push me away, understood?”

She tilts her head, confusion washing over her. “Okay…,” She says unsurely.

Levi inhales deeply. He pushes himself off the desk, resting one hand on the armrest and his other hand on her cheek. Her skin is warm. Levi watches her carefully. She doesn’t show any signs of discomfort. His eyes dart to her rosy lips.

Taking a leap of faith, he closes his eyes and kisses her. Levi controls his urge to go strong, instead doing a hesitant kiss, like he’s testing the water. At least she didn’t push him away, but she didn’t respond either.

Levi pulls away from her, the warmth still on his lips. (Y/N) looks at him in shock, her eyes wide. He looks away, rubbing the back of his neck. What was he thinking? He shouldn’t have done that, she doesn’t feel the same based on the lack of response. Great, now she won’t want to be near him anymore and that meant he won’t hear her voice again. He just had to fuck everything up, didn’t he?

“Your feelings…you’re not joking are you?” She asks slowly.

He furrows his eyebrows as he looks back at her. “Why would I joke about that?”

Focusing her attention on the ground, she twirls a strand of her hair. “I-I mean, you’re an amazing person. A strong, selfless, but also an awkward person.” She laughs a little towards the end, making his lips twitch.

Her eyes grow sad, a pang shooting through his heart. “I have strong feelings for you. I never thought you’d feel the same because, well, I’m just a simple a cadet-”

“You’re more than that.” He sharply interjects, not wanting to hear her degrade herself.

She blinks at him before a large smile settles on her lips. “So this means we’re…,”

“Together.” He finishes for her.

He feels the happiness radiating off her. Levi opens his mouth but closes it. He struggles with his words, something that didn’t go unnoticed by (y/n). She rests her hand on top of his and brushes his thumb against his skin, coaxing him.

“I’m shit with words, you should know. However, do know that I…love you, even if I won’t say it much.” He says quietly, a pink tinge on his cheek. She gasps at his words. Standing up, she leans close to him, holding both of his hands in hers.

“I-I love you too. It’s okay if you don’t express yourself verbally, I know you would much rather speak through words, which is fine by me. You’re expressive in other ways.” She squeezes his hands reassuringly.

His heart soars. Unlike him, this girl has a way with words. She could easily lift his spirits. It further proves just much of a kindhearted person she is.

“Well then, I’ll express myself physically.” Levi tugs her forward, arms going around her waist. She lets out a squeak, hands resting on his chest.

He swoops down, claiming her lips once more. This time, she does respond back. Her arms loop around his neck, pulling him closer. He inwardly smiles at her action. Compared to last time, he kisses her deeply and passionately. He wants her to know exactly how strong his love for her is.

When his lungs starts to beg for oxygen, he parts. (Y/N) breathes heavily, her cheeks flushed.

“You’re staying here for a while. I don’t care if Hanji needs you.” Levi declares.

She nods. Moving behind his desk, he sits down on his chair. He beckons her with his finger. Despite the puzzled expression on her face, she complies. She lets out a yelp when he yanks on her arm, falling onto his lap.

“L-Levi!?”

Levi nuzzles her neck, his warm breath hitting her skin. “Sing.” He commands softly.

She does just that. Her voice enraptures his heart, easing his mind into a tranquil state.

He has her by his side and Levi couldn’t be happier.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The seventh time he heard her sing was when he had a nightmare.

Levi was signing documents when the door clicks open. He doesn’t lift his head, knowing who it was. She was the only one allowed to enter without his permission.

“Ah sorry, you must be busy.”

Levi looks at (y/n), pausing his actions. “Do you need me for something?”

She fidgets in her spot. “Not really..I just wanted to be with you, talk maybe. I’m done with training and did all my errands requested by squad leader Hanji.”

His heart warms at her saying she wants to spend time with him. Placing his pen down, he leans back in his chair.

“Then you have my full attention.” He lightly smirks at her red cheeks.

“But your paperwork.” She points at his desk which has two stacks.

He briefly glances at them, narrowing his eyes. Damn Erwin. It’ll take him a few hours to finish it all since he has to look over proposals, some longer than others.

“It can wait.” Levi mutters, not keen on hunching over his desk and breaking his hand.

She didn’t buy his lame excuse. “I know it’ll take you a long time. I’ll go.” He sees the flicker of sadness in her eyes. As if he’s going to let her go. He wants her to stay, she makes things bearable for him.

“I didn’t tell you to go, did I?” Levi says sternly, halting her movements.

“N-No.”

He pushes his chair back, screeching against the floor. Levi pats his thighs. “Sit on my lap.” He says flatly.

“W-What?” She stutters.

“I won’t repeat myself.” He props his elbow on his armrest, resting his cheek against his fisted hand.

She shuffles her way over to him, sitting down on his lap. She immediately buries her face in his chest, making him chuckle. One arm goes around her waist while his other hand picks up the pen.

“I want you close to me while I work.” Levi explains as he scribbles his signature on a paper.

“Oh, alright then.” Her muscles relax, snuggling herself further into his body. A faint smile is on his lips.

The atmosphere is peaceful as he continues working. The paperwork doesn’t feel daunting with her around. The feeling of her small body pressed against his is somewhat of a distraction, but he pushes the things he could do to her to the back of his mind. He’s content to just have her in his lap, her fingers fisted into his shirt.

“Hey Levi?” Her voice is slightly muffled. He hums in response.

“What do you think about my singing?” She peers up at him curiously.

He tears his gaze from his work, focusing his attention on her. “It’s the most beautiful thing in the world.” He says simply.

(Y/N) widens her eyes at his answer, her mouth slightly agape. “You’re exaggerating!” 

He arches an eyebrow. “Does it look like I am?”

She glances away. “I didn’t think you would praise so highly of my voice.” Her voice is quiet.

“Have more confidence in yourself.” He tilts her chin up with his finger. “Believe it or not, I was captured by your voice when I ordered the cadets to clean the castle.”

“Really?”

Levi nods, averting his gaze from her. “Your singing…it helps me clear my head.” Great, now he’s feeling awkward.

She lightly giggles, cupping his cheek. A warm smile is on her face. “I’m glad I can help.”

Unable to face her, he pushes her face back to his chest. He resumes his paperwork, his cheeks growing warm. The time ticks away, the silence comforting. However, it didn’t last long. Little taps hit against the window. Levi didn’t think much of it until it sounds like bullets raining down on the castle. Craning his neck towards the window, he sees droplets sliding down the glass. It looks dark and gloomy outside, like someone extinguished the sun.

“Rain?” She murmurs.

“Yeah.”

Suddenly something like whip cracks in the air, making (Y/N) jump. Her form slightly trembles as a couple of booms roars in the sky, rivaling that of a titan. His hand threads through her hair in a soothing manner, hoping to calm her nerves.

“Sorry, I don’t do well with loud noises.” She curls herself into more of a ball.

“Nothing to be ashamed of.”

“I should get back to the dorms, it’s getting late.”

Sherr moves to get off his lap but he tightens his grip.

“Levi?”

“I’m not letting you leave. You’re sleeping with me tonight.” He says casually.

Her eyes bulge out of her sockets, her jaw hanging open. “Seriously!?”

Levi rolls his eyes at her response. “I don’t want you to deal with this thunderstorm by yourself.”

Her eyes soften. “Oh, that’s very sweet of you.”

He brushes her off with a tch. He is not sweet.

A yawn escapes her lips and she rubs her eye. Noticing her tiredness, he gestures her to get off. Levi leads her to his private quarters, which was connected to his office. He opens his closet, rummaging for a pair of clothes for his lover to wear. Settling on a gray shirt and black boxers, he tosses it to her.

“You.. want me to wear your clothes?” She looks confusedly at the clothes in her hands.

“No way in hell am I letting you sleep with your dirty uniform on my bed.” Levi says seriously.

She chuckles at his answer. Cleanliness always first.

He starts to leave the room when (y/n) calls him.

“Levi, aren’t you going to sleep?”

“I have a few more proposals to look over. Go to sleep.” He orders, throwing a look over his shoulder.

She frowns, but nods nonetheless. “Okay, don’t stay up too late.”

He says nothing, returning back to his desk. Levi rolls his neck, the cracks mingling with the pitter-patter. Knowing that (y/n) awaits him in his bed, he flies through the remaining paperwork. His eyes burn with exhaustion, his movements are sluggish. The rain slows, becoming a rhythmic noise that was calming. Although he prefers his lover’s voice much more than rain.

He needs to have a talk with Erwin regarding this absurd workload. Sure he doesn’t sleep much, but he wants at least some hours of rest to function. Finally he finishes his work. Pushing the stacks to the side he stands up, his arms above his head. He drags himself to the bedroom, his eyes occasionally drooping. When his eyes settles on his bed, his lips curve upwards. (Y/N) is curled into a ball at the very edge of the bed, her nose buried in the pillow. She practically pulled the covers all to her side.

Levi changes into his nightwear, consisting of a white shirt and black pants. He lays down on his side of the bed. Gently pulling the covers to his side, she rolls over, mumbling incoherent things under her breath. Once he fully settles, his muscles relax as he sinks into the mattress. Levi stiffens when (y/n) hugs him, her nose nuzzling the crook of his neck.

“Warm…,” she breathes.

Slowly, his arms wrap around her frame, bringing her closer. He buries his face in her hair, inhaling deeply. A sweet scent wafts into his nose, making him even more drowsy.

His eyes close, the darkness claiming him.

_Where the hell am I?_

_Everywhere I turn, it’s just pitch black. I walk, hoping to find something or someone. Suddenly I couldn’t move my legs. Just what is going on?_

_“Levi help!” A distressed voice calls out._

_I whip my head to the voice, my eyes widening. In front of me is a titan, looming over me with a soldier in its hand. It grins wickedly, opening its mouth wide._

_“Levi, help please!” The soldier shrieks as he is brought closer to the jaws of death._

_I couldn’t move, fuck I couldn’t even speak. I stare in horror as he gets eaten, screams ringing in my ear. Blood splatters everywhere, including my clothes._

_“Levi, why aren’t you doing anything!?”_

_“Help us!”_

_“It hurts!”_

_“It’s your fault!”_

_I watch, terrified, as soldiers get eaten one by one. Their horror stricken faces engrave themselves in my mind before they become mangled corpses._

_Nothing. I’m doing nothing._

_The titan leans down, blood dripping from its face. It grabs me tightly, my bones cracking in the air. It opens its mouth wide._

_I shriek._

“Levi, wake up!”

Levi’s eyes snap wide open, shooting up in bed. Sweat slides down his forehead, his heart thundering inside his chest. His hand trembles, his breaths coming out as long and ragged.

The screams, the blood, the bodies, it’s still fresh in his mind.

“Hey, it’s okay.” (Y/N) turns his face to look at her, her eyes full of worry and concern. His mask is gone, his eyes wide and filled with fright and pain. He’s like a little child. Not even he could mask his emotions. Levi attempts to speak, but nothing comes out. She understands.

“You’re safe, you’re here with me.” Her soothing voice grounds him back to reality. Her fingers comb through his ebony locks.His weary body leans forward, his head resting on her shoulder. Her arms go around his back, squeezing him tightly.

Levi shakily exhales. Why did nightmares have to haunt him? Why couldn’t he get a break, does he not suffer enough?

Tears leak from his eyes, falling onto her skin. Dammit, dammit all. He didn’t want to be vulnerable in front of her, but at the same time he was strangely okay with it. If anyone had to see him in this state, he would rather have it be her.

His breath hitches when her voice fills the air. It pulls him away from the titan, the screams, the blood, the bodies. He’s in her arms, her loving voice surrounding him.

(Y/N) lays down, bringing Levi with her. He buries his face in her neck, his fingers digging into her back.

“Shh Levi, I’m here, I’m here. Go to sleep.” She whispers in his ear, pressing a kiss to his forehead. Reluctantly he closes his eyes, fearful of what he may see again. But her voice reaches him, and he knew that he didn’t have anything to worry about. Her voice keeps the monsters and demons at bay. Her light repels them. They can’t reach him.

His walls may be strong, but the barrier she creates with her voice was truly impenetrable.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Levi looks out the window, his hands behind his back. Today has been going relatively well. Erwin didn’t bombard him with mountains of paperwork last night, so he managed to get a few hours of sleep in. Hanji didn’t pester him, surprisingly. She was mostly muttering about titans to herself, scribbling notes in her notebook. There were no meetings today. The cadets were still idiots, but at least they fought better than last time.

Everything was fine, but it wasn’t. He didn’t see (y/n) at all, nor did she come to bring him his tea.

Levi grumbles under his breath. Look at him, being such a needy bastard. She didn’t have to be constantly by his side, she has other duties of course. But (y/n)’s his lover, one he cherishes deeply. He never had someone stick by him, and he hates to admit it, but he’s touched starved. Levi’s been alone all his life, devoid of affection and love. The fact that he has someone he’s romantically involved with was new, but welcomed.

Levi walks to his shelf and picks up a random book. Plopping down on the couch, he opens it. He can do just fine without her. He lasts ten heroic seconds before slamming the book shut, the sound bouncing off the walls. He needs answers, and unfortunately for him, that meant asking the mad scientist. Tossing the book on the cushions, he exits his office and advances towards Hanji’s room.

He knocks on the door, waiting. He hears a crash and sighs. Just what the hell was she up to.

“Who is it?”

“It’s me.”

The door opens, revealing a very disheveled Hanji. Her hair is frazzled, her glasses askew, and her uniform has dirt on it, making him cringe.

“Do you not have any clean uniform or something?”

She shrugs. “Too lazy.”

“Damn you woman, would it kill you to be clean for once?” Levi barks, pinching the bridge of his nose.

Hanji comes out into the hall, closing the door and leaning her back against it.

“What do you need because obviously you didn’t just come and give me a cleaning speech.” She has a teasing smile on her face.

Levi scoffs. “You’re correct about that, I don’t need to waste my time on simple matters that should be clear to everyone. Like cleanliness.”

Hanji rolls her eyes. “You have high standards, no one is a clean freak like you.”

He resists the urge to punch her. He exhales through his nose. “Look, I just want to know where (y/n) is.”

Her grin widens. “Aww, so cute.”

“Shut up.” He snaps back.

Hanji places a finger on her chin, a thoughtful expression on her face. “I sent her to do some errands in town. I’m a little surprised she’s not back yet though.”

Something’s not right if she’s not back yet. What’s keeping her for so long?

“Ah, maybe she got caught up in some stores or something. We rarely do get out anyways.” Hanji offers an explanation, but Levi doesn’t believe it. He believes the wrenching feeling in his gut. Levi turns on his heels and stalks down the halls. He does not like this one bit. Unless he sees her with his own eyes that she’s fine, he won’t rest until he finds her. With a growl, he quickens his pace.

Dammit why the hell does he feel like something disastrous is going to happen? It’s like the calm before the storm, and the apprehension is killing him.

Levi glances around as he walks down the streets, hoping to see a familiar face. The panic inside him grows. A crowd of people comes out of a building, heading his way. Not wanting to deal with that, he moves to the side, near the alleyways. His eye catches something in an alleyway.

As he moves closer, his panic skyrockets. A girl is on the ground face first, a pool of blood around her body. She’s wearing a Survey Corps uniform.

_Oh dear god, please no. No, no, no. Levi rushes to her, collapsing to the ground. With shaking hands, he turns the body over._

His heart stops beating, his eyes wide. (Y/N). It’s her. His lover.

Her face is deathly pale, but that’s not what scares him. There’s a long slit across her throat, crimson dripping from the wound. Oh god no. Fear seizes him in a vice like grip.

_No please. Don’t take her away like the others!_

Levi places his ear where her heart would be. He picks up on a faint heartbeat. She’s still alive.

Immediately cradling her in his arms, he sprints toward the castle like his life depended on it. Terror and fear shreds him to pieces. Faster, he needs to go faster. Every second he wastes is every second she loses.

Levi bursts through the infirmary, panting. All the medics look up in shock.

“Save her now!” He yells out. Her body is growing cold, her breathing shallow.

The medics take her from him, shouting orders at one another. They escort her to another room, leaving Levi alone. Blood. Her blood is on his hands. His legs wobble, his body zapped of all strength. He slumps down in a chair, his fingers twitching.

It’s engraved in his mind, he doesn’t think he’d be able to forget it. Who the hell did that to? Why did they do it? What did she do to deserve that?

She’ll live, she has to. Levi buries his face in his hand, not caring if the blood gets on his skin. Levi can’t lose her, he lost too many people already. But he can’t ignore the gash on her neck nor the amount of blood she lost.

“She won’t die, she won’t die..,” He chants to himself.

Levi thinks back to their memories together. From when he first heard her sing, his heart enraptured by her voice to when she saw him at his most vulnerable state.

Levi never prayed before because he saw no need. Whoever the hell was up there obviously didn’t care about humans, so why bother wishing for anything? This time, he was desperate. His heart cries out for (y/n).

_Don’t take her from me. Please. I need her._

Levi doesn’t know what he would do if she does get ripped away from him. He’d be nothing more than a dead soul inside a body. Levi pulls at his hair, hot tears welling up behind his eyes.

He didn’t know how long he stayed in the chair for. He was trapped inside his mind, his heart shattered into millions of pieces. He didn’t think his heart would be able to repair itself if things don’t go his way.

Hearing footsteps approach him, he looks up. The doctor wears a grim expression on his face, making him inhale sharply. His heart constricts painfully

_No…please…_

“What’s… her condition?” His voice sounds hoarse. He’s scared to even know the answer.

“She’s alive.”

Relief crashes down on him. His body quivers, thanking the heavens for not taking away his beloved. She’s alive, she didn’t leave him. He feels like he could breathe properly.

Returning his attention back to the doctor, he furrows his eyebrows. Why the hell did he have a tight expression on his face?

“You’re not telling me something, spit it out.” Levi says lowly, standing up. There’s that unnerving feeling again.

“The cut on her throat…it shredded her vocal chords.” The doctor says solemnly.

His heart falls to the pit of his stomach. Her voice…it’s taken from her. She will never speak. He will never hear her beautiful voice again.

Why was life so cruel?

Levi swallows thickly. “Can I see her?”

“You may.”

Each step feels heavy, like it’s dragging him down to the ground. He opens the door to her room, quietly walking in. There she lays in bed, her face serene. It looks like she’s sleeping, like nothing was wrong with her. His eyes trail down to her neck. The bandages are bloody.

Levi pulls out a chair and brings it close to her bed, sitting down. He grasps her hand, rubbing his thumb across her skin. He breaks. Tears stream down his face, sobs threatening to escape his throat. His other hand brushes a few strands away from her forehead. Levi rests his head on her stomach.

“I’m so sorry…I’m so sorry…,” He chokes out.

(Y/N) stirs. He lifts his head, his eyes carefully watching her face. Her eyes open, confusion swirling in the depths of her amber hues. She blinks rapidly, adjusting her vision. When she sees Levi, she offers a small smile, but it quickly disappears. Her hand reaches up and brushes his tears away. She attempts to speak but nothing comes out. Dread trickles inside his body. She tries again but winces in pain.

“(Y/N)..,” Levi murmurs.

She looks at him in fear, her eyes asking him what’s wrong with her. He doesn’t want to say the words, it’s going to ruin her. She tugs on his sleeve, begging him. Levi bites his lips hard.

“You can’t speak anymore.” The words leave a bitter taste in his mouth.

She widens her eyes, shaking her head in denial. He watches in pain as she rests a hand on her neck. Tears well up in her eyes, rivers cascading down her cheeks.

She reaches her arms out like a child wanting to be held. Levi gently embraces her, his arms tight around her body. Her tears sear his skin, her hands curling into his shirt. He couldn’t even begin to imagine what she’s thinking, how she’s feeling.

“I’m here for you…I’m here for you…,” Levi says in a hushed whisper. He doubts his words would do any good for her. He can’t bring her voice back.

She will never sing again.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She wasn’t the same anymore. With her voice gone, so was her light. She had no will to do anything. Levi took it upon himself to help her eat, to bathe her, to dress her. He held her when she cried at night, her tears like knives to his body. Anything she needed, he did it.

Levi was by her side, supporting her. However, he could not alleviate her pain. He wanted so badly to just take away all the anguish she was feeling, It killed him on the inside every time he looked into her lifeless eyes, the light extinguished. It also pained him that she won’t be able to sing, nor would he be able to hear her voice. The ugly red mark on her neck a grim reminder of that day.

Life was bleak for them, shrouded in darkness.

“(Y/N), eat please.” Levi practically begs.

She looks at the tray in her lap, unmoving. He cradles her face in his hands, pressing a brief kiss to her lips.

“Please.”

Slowly she picks up the bread and chews it. He doesn’t know how long he’ll be able to stand it. He needs her back. Levi racks his brain for something, anything. However, he knew whatever he does, it won’t be enough. She needs her voice, she needs to sing, but those are the things he can’t give her. God he feels so useless. He’s watching her wither away. Light, she needs her light to flourish again.

An idea hits him. Levi breathes in shakily, preparing himself. She looks at him with those same eyes, but he sees a flicker of curiosity in them, waiting for his next move.

The words fall from his lips, filling the air. His voice was not made for this, but he has to try, for her. He pauses a lot, trying to remember the words she said to him many times. He wishes it would flow as smooth as a river like her voice.

Oh, what the hell was he thinking, this was shitty. Levi shuts his mouth, looking away from her. He scrunches his face up in anger. Angry at himself for not being able to do anything for her.

Suddenly, delicate hands hold his cheeks, turning his face to meet hers. His breath hitches, his eyes wide. (Y/N)’s smiling, actually smiling. Her eyes are soft, and they’re full of life. He sees the light dancing in her eyes. He couldn’t believe it. She leans up and kisses him. He understands her words. She’s saying thank you. Thank you for not giving up. Thank you for being with her. Thank you for loving her.

“Always.” He mumbles against her lips.

That was the first time Levi sang, but there were many more moments to come. He’s bringing light back into her world, just like she did for him.


End file.
